While running out to zone in my elk rifle, I also threw in a Ruger 10/22 that I just tricked out. After shooting the, 22 I got to reminiscing. For the majority of us, the .22 was our first real gun.
I still have my old Remington Apache Nylon 66 that I bought with my paper route earnings. That started my love affair with the lowly .22. The .22 has to be the most popular caliber ever invented, doesn’t it? Look at all of the small caliber rifles that have tried to kick the lowly .22 off its throne.
The .22 hornet. .22 WMR and most recently the .17 HMR. Then should we include the .17 Hornet, .218 BEE, 204 Ruger and 222 Remington.
When the .17 HMR came out it was supposed to knock the .22 into oblivion. Yes, it was popular but like the Weeble that may wobble it didn’t stay down. What makes the little ole’ .22 so resilient? I think there’s a few factors that keeps it floating.
Pictured below: My new tricked out Ruger 10/22 looks pretty cool with the laminated Boyds thumbhole stock, Breek Arms flash suppressor and a sleek Vortex scope.
It started nearly 100 years ago-early 1930’s during the depression. My dad could sell a rabbit for a whopping 10 cents, enough to buy a box of shorts.
That kept him in ammo. One day, with only one bullet left he got a rabbit, sold it, bought a box of ammo and was back in the saddle.
Back in those days they offered shorts, longs and long rifle ammo which made the .22 versatile and cheap to shoot. That was space age technology back then. I bet I’ve never bought more than 1-2 boxes of shorts in my life but back then it was an inexpensive option.
Now for the modern-day reasons the .22 is still alive and even making a resurgence. I credit the Ruger 10/22. It has to be the most trick-out table gun in the world.
I have ones that I’ve tricked out which shoot unbelievable groups, like pushing ¼-inch groups. And there are a lot of super cool after-market parts for it. Boyds’ makes some super cool laminated stocks. Timney makes some slick triggers and Ruger makes a decent after-market trigger as well. Twenty-five round banana clips and bull barrels. On this one I installed a Breek Arms flash suppressor just for the cool looking factor.
Another factor is the low price point for .22 ammo that allows for a lot of low key, fun plinking. There’s also a lot of value in shooting a .22 regularly.
I may get 400-450 shots at ground squirrels on a good day. That helps me get fast at obtaining target acquisition, being able to take moving shots and learning to take shots quickly in various positions. So, due to shooting high volumes of .22 ammo, I’m always tuned up.
Another thing that has brought the .22 back into good graces with hunters/shooters is the super-accurate ammo that’s available. Here’s why I say this. I bought my first Ruger 10/22 25 years ago. I’d get 1.5-inch groups shooting 10 rounds.
I just figured .22’s was inherently inaccurate. To my knowledge there was no super accurate .22 ammo on the market. Then decades later I met Aguila and Eley which both produce the most accurate .22 ammo I’ve found.
Yes, I’ve killed 1,250-pound steers and a 350 lb. hog with a .22 but as a whole, when hunting with a .22, we’re hunting small game with a small kill zone. So, I think that with the availability of more accurate ammo, that also plays a role in the popularity of the .22.
I about titled this article THE LOWLY .22 but after getting started on the article it seemed more appropriate to title it KING OF THE RIMFIRES-THE MIGHTY .22. The .22 was invented in 1887 by J. Stevens. What other caliber has lasted that long and is still on top of the heap? You may say the 30-06 or the 45-70. I love both but sadly they’re not the top choice of their class anymore. (Yes, I still love the 30-06 and have shot moose, bear, deer, antelope on down to prairie dogs with one. And I love my Henry 45-70).
To enhance your shooting pleasure/proficiency get a decent scope. I mounted a Vortex Crossfire 4-12x44 scope on my new Ruger 10/22. It has an Adjustable Objective so you can dial in on close shots. Big deal since with a .22, we’ll be shooting small animals within close range. Buy a good scope and cuss less!
So why is shooting/hunting with a .22 so relaxing. When elk hunting, I wake up 2-3 hours before daylight, slam down breakfast and then hike up into the high country. Hunt hard all day, drag back into camp, whip out dinner and crawl into bed. By day three I’m so sore I can barely move. Not to mention that the temps are close to zero so I’m not sleeping that great. I love elk hunting, but it’s tough duty.
Let’s compare that to a .22 hunt. I wake up to a big breakfast and 2-4 cups of coffee. Check my email. Maybe start another Pulitzer Prize winning article, then head out to ground squirrel hunt about 8:30.
Stroll across the high desert, set on a pad and start shooting. You don’t have to be super quiet. You can be eating snacks. The temp will be between 60-85 so you may even be able to get a suntan. About 1 ½-hours before sundown they go underground, so you can get home and finish dinner before dark. (Go back and read how intense elk hunting is)!
So, .22 hunts are low-key, fun and involves a lot of shooting. Plus, they’re a great way to introduce kids into hunting since they don’t kick and won’t hurt their ears.
What if you want to just go plinking? What’s better than a .22? Again, no loud report. No recoil and there are a million tin cans begging to be perforated! Or if you really want to get your kids into shooting, what about spinner targets or water bottles filled with water?
No wonder our blood pressure drops and we get that far away nostalgic look when we pull our .22 out of the closet and head outdoors. LONG LIVE THE LITTLE OLE’ .22!
Below: With some Aguila ammo I got a 5/16" group. I was shooting at a 1/2" hole so with a smaller bullseye I'm sure I could have gotten >1/4".
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